


Land Of Memories And Metal

by DrakonLady



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bullshit fantasy weapons, Canon-Typical Violence, Comedy romance action, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Half Trolls, I'm just using SBURB and Trolls and Maybe condy, M/M, Mystery, Olivier needs to cool her head, Pesterlog(s) (Homestuck), Roy has a lisp, SBURB, Team as Family, Triplet AU, all teen au, this actually has very Little to do with homestuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2019-09-07 09:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16851133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrakonLady/pseuds/DrakonLady
Summary: **NO KNOWLEDGE OF HOMESTUCK REQUIRED FOR THIS FIC**Your name is Edward Elric, and you've never known your parents, and you never really cared to know. Unfortunately, you might not get a say in the matter.





	1. Your name is Edward Elric

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so for any of you who read I Gotta Feeling this is basically the same universe and a once off gag in that story has now become this and will continue becoming this. But the chum handles are all the same in that story.

Your name is Edward Elric. You graduated high school when you were twelve. You have four Ph.D.’s: biochemistry, linguistics, chemistry, and applied mathematics. Your brother and sister also have several Ph.D.’s, as do several of your friends. You just have the most.

            You live in a large dormitory with all your friends and family where you are all cared for, which is more than you can say about any foster home before this place. What is the place? You’re not sure; you think only the so-called teachers really know why you’re here. Although you must assume it has something to do with the fact here everyone is smarter than average (understatement) and more physically capable the average person (also understated).

            Most days here are filled with a plethora of your own activities. You spend your days talking scientific theory with your siblings Al and Nina, jamming with your boyfriend Ling, or playing video games and talking shit with your best friends Roy and Riza.

            But today is not just any day. No, in fact two days ago your dorm got a box of games, one for each of you. Everyone decided they were going to play it today, but your copy seems to have disappeared.

            “What did you even do with it?” Roy asks, perched on the edge of his bed. He’s texting the chat, you just know it. In fact, he’s probably texting pictures of you crouched under your desk looking through the dust to see if you dropped the game down here.

            “I left it right here I think,” you say, scratching your head. Or more likely your hair, it’s so big you couldn’t reach your scalp unless you actively tried.

            “You think?” Roy asks. That’s the thing with Roy, he knows how often you forget things, he just doesn’t understand why or how. He says you just need practice remembering, you tell him it doesn’t work like that. It is an endless cycle of bullshit.

            “Whatever.” You get off your knees and wipe the dust off your star tights. “Maybe I left it downstairs.” Roy gives you a kind of sideways look.

            “We are gonna start playing without you,” he calls as you open the door to go check if you left the game in the common room. You wave a hand back.

            “Go ahead. Just message me with the junk that’s happening.” You close the door behind you, watching as Roy gets out his own copy of the game and starts talking to Riza. You guess Roy has chosen to get her in-game first.

            There isn’t anyone in the hall, which is a far cry from normal. Although there are several projects of your friends’ that have been laid out. You walk over Kain’s HAM radio and past your brother and sister’s giant 600-page coloring book and all the markers they have left out. Walking around the halls is like dancing as you try not to walk over anyone’s projects or weapons. Lan Fan has left her bombs and daggers out on the floor again. You, like a responsible person, keep all your swords in your strife deck.

            The common room is also covered in video games and board games, remnants of last night’s sleep. Ms. Izumi has even joined all of you for a little while. And yes, your copy of the game was left on the coffee table. You're so forgetful sometimes you swear.

 

salamanderBoi [SB]  began pestering  keshaStan [KS]   

SB: So the games way weirder then we thought.

SB: Like has actual effects on the real ass world weird.

KS: Really???? I Feel Like You’re Fucking With Me

SB: I’m actually not for once. Instead, we get to go idk fight monsters in another dimension

KS: What If I Do Not Want To???

SB: Man I think it’s the end of the world you don’t really get a choice

KS: Play Or Die.

SB: I mean yea basically. Anyway did you get your copy?

KS: Oh Yes. It Was On The Coffee Table. I’ll be back up in a minute.

 

salamanderBoi [SB]  has ceased pestering  keshaStan 

                       

            You make your way back upstairs. It seems people have cleaned up their things. That makes sense; after all, you don’t know what will be waiting for you on the other side of this game. Best take the things that mean the most to you. Speaking of, when you get to your room it looks like it's been ransacked.

            Roy is throwing things left and right as he tries to dig something up from under his bed. Moments after making your way back into your shared dorm a large square machine is placed in the middle of Roy’s half of the room. Roy looks between it and the other machines placing themselves behind you on the outer wall of the room.

            “This has something to do with-” You don’t finish your sentence before Roy interrupts you.

            “The game, yeah. Basically, these are used to get you in and some other junk I don’t care much about at this point.” Roy messes with the machines a bit before calling out to the sky, “Jean, you have to throw something heavy at the top.” You quirk your eyebrow up. Roy shrugs.

            “Jean’s my server player like I was Riza’s. He can hear me, but he can’t, like, speak to me, so-” He uncaptchalogs his phone, showing a wall of bright green text.

            “That’s incredibly strange,” you say, working on your own computer. Everyone’s online and the group chat is blowing up. You should probably check that out.

            “Ed, you have tiny orange and red horns, patches of gray skin, and literal claws. Everything you’ve ever done or been near has been incredibly strange because you or one of your siblings was in the general vicinity.” Roy gives you a sidelong look before his bed is picked up by some strange cursor and dropped on top of the square thing.

            The top pops open and a blue blinking circle pops out along with a long blue crystal thing. Roy gives a wave bye before leaving the room, talking to Jean about how he could have been faster.

            You look at the countdown that has started on the square things side. Two minutes. You turn back to Pesterchum. It's not your problem, it’s Roy and Jean’s. Your brother and sister have a memo up and their icons are blinking wildly.

 

al;3 [AL] and thatBitch [TB] have invited keshaStan [KS] to a Memo

 

KS: Can I Ask Why???

AL: mOSTLY Because wE Thought iT Would bE Fun

TB: ALSO, BECAUSE ALL OF THIS CHAOS IS GIVING US PRIME CHAT TIME. I DON’T THINK THE THREE OF US WILL BE HEADED IN FOR A WHILE.

KS: What Makes You Say That???

AL: tHE Current lINE Up sEEMS To bE Jean wILL Get rOY In tHEN Maria wILL Get jEAN In aND Continuing iN The oRDER Of sHES, Livy, kAIN, Denny, lING, Paninya, lAN, Winry, mEI, Nina, mE, And tHEN Riza wILL Get yOU In eD.

TB: HAVE I MENTIONED YOUR TYPING QUIRK IS A NIGHTMARE TO LOOK AT.

AL: mANY Times mS All cAPS.

KS: Boom Roasted.

TB: YOU’RE DEAD TO ME.

TB: ED YOU SHARE A ROOM WITH ROY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY GET IN GAME.

 

keshaStan  has disconnected from memo

            You left the memo for a simple reason. That reason is over half your room exploded.

            To be fair, you think to yourself as you look down into the kitchen that was under your room, it was only Roy’s half, and your half has the bathroom. Speaking of, you should probably grab your meds and Roy’s just in case he forgot his.

            And yep, Roy’s are right where he left them. You captchalog both your meds and his, you’ll give them to him next time you see him. You should message the group chat and tell everyone to grab their own medication just in case.

 

keshaStan [KS] is an active chum

KS: Not To Sound Like Shes But Please Grab Your Medication Before You Get Into The Game.

KS: Roy I Have Yours BTW

SB: Thanks. This place is like super weird. I can already tell it would be hell to have a manic episode here.

LS: uuuuu I can't wait to kick weird monster ass when do I get to go in

KJ: Maria just got herself in so as soon as you get me in Livy then kain will get you we already discussed this.

KS: When Did This Conversation Happen??? Why Did Al And Nina Have To Tell Me It Separately???

GN: You were downstairs Ed!

KS: Roy I Told You To Keep Me Updated!!!

SB: Whoops

KS: You LISPY MOTHERFUCKER

SB: And you're short this is No time to point out each other’s flaws.

KS: Fuck You I’m Going To Flush Your Medication Down The Toilet.

WM: Why are we fighting what's going on? My phone won’t stop going off and I'm trying to get my shit together.

GN: Lucky asshole, I didn’t even know what was going to happen meaning over half my shit is just strewn about and my guns are NOWHERE to be found.

JG: Riza your handle is LITERALLY Gun. How do you not have them with you at all time?

GN: Oh No I do have a pair of guns just not my favorites.

LI: Are they the ones with the golden handles? And the red tips?

GN: YES

LI: yea they were on my side of the room when it fucking exploded. I’ll give them to you when I get in the game.

GN: UGHHHHHHHH. Now I must use these lame plan looking ones.

RS: Speaking of having any of you guys seen my staff?

LS: Ye its on the kitchen counter, I saw it when I went to get coffee this morning.

KJ: Please just focus on not letting me die livy!!!!!

LS: Don’t EVEN worry about that shes, I got this shit on Lockdown.

 

keshaStan is an Idle Chum

           

            As much as you love your friends you can only take so much of their horseshit. You decide that if it's going to be a minute you should check up on your boyfriend. He’s only down the hall and Denny isn’t in the game yet, so his room should be entirely intact.

            In the hall is a very panicked Sheska or …   _was_ there was a moment ago. A big book falls on her head and she tears it to little pieces while crying, and now her half of the room explodes, along with some of the hallway. Meaning now its Kain’s turn to get Livy in the game. That should be fun for them because Kain won’t have to type, they share a room, so he can just talk to her like a normal person.

            You knock on Ling and Denny’s door. Their room also looks like it's been robbed, things turned inside out and drawers strew everywhere. Denny has his headphones in and is blasting music. His computer screen is a multicolored mess. Ling is sitting on his bed fiddling with a camera, when he sees you come in, he gives a big cheesy grin and takes a picture of you.

            You frown and cross your arms.

            “I thought we talked about the photo thing.”

            “Yep we did, and you talked about how you didn’t like people taking photos of you because you're ugly, which isn’t true. SO, in an effort to show you the light of how smoking hot you are I will continue to take photos of you.”

            He holds up the camera to show you the picture. Honestly it isn’t bad, Ling is good at this photo taking stuff. He’s good at a lot of things. You sigh and uncross your arms, throwing yourself back onto the bed.

            Ling gives you plenty of pats on the head trying to smooth out the mess of curls that is your hair. It’s calm for maybe to minutes before you hear another dorm explode and Denny turns around to face the two of you.

“I have to get Kain in the game now and then Ling has to get me in game. Sorry Ed but I’m kicking you out,” Denny says before putting his headphones back on and booting up his version of the game. Ling gives you a quick kiss on the cheek on your way out.

            “Bye asshole.” You smile and wave at him as you make your way back to your own room. You’re incredibly bored right now. Which seems to be the opposite of everyone else. Or maybe it’s the same for your siblings.

            People are disappearing every two minutes and you really don’t have that much time before you have to get in the game. Like fifteen minutes give or take. You give your syllandex one last check over before getting back online.

            Scrolling through it seems like Ling has just gotten in and Lanny is now helping Paninya. Riza is gushing about how cool her planet is, the Land of Vapor and Ammo or something. But she’s mostly happy cause of the bird consorts there. Apparently, they are beautiful, and she can’t wait for you and Roy to see them.

            And now Paninya’s in and Lanny is getting help from Winry. Roy is way less enthused about his planet then Riza is, the Land of Ghosts and Cages. It doesn’t sound pleasant. His consorts are crocodiles, and Roy is really freaked out by them. Jean tells him not to worry and as soon as possible he will go adventuring with him. That way he won’t be alone.

            It’s not a bad idea and thinking of your friends and the concepts of video games in general, you wonder if you should put together some team ideas. Roy and Jean would make a good team, but from what you’ve heard with everyone’s sprinting the monsters are getting super dangerous. You wonder if your blade will be enough. It’s an old, worn thing Izumi gave you when you first got to this dorm. As much as you love it you hope you’ll be able to upgrade at some point.

            Oh, where the time has gone. Al’s pinging you to get him in game. His room has already been blown to pieces just like everyone elses. _I wonder if the teachers are alright._ You should probably check up with everyone later just to see if anyone thought to bring them along.

            Al gets in the game fast, which makes sense; everyone’s seen each other do this by now.

Riza pings you, and after two minutes you’re in the game.

 

The Land Of Metal And Memories


	2. Your Name Is Alphonse Elric

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Beta Read this time we die like men

 

            Your name is Alphonse Elric and fuck if you even know what going on anymore. You’re on the Land of Ashes and Temples and it’s so hot you might die. The magma this planets land is made up of is all pooled into one lake and your forced to walk around the circumference. Your friends are all having different experiences with their lands some hate them some love them some don’t care at all. For example from what you’ve heard your brother land is cold and made of metal and he has no opinion on that matter, on the flipside Nina’s is made of lush trees and flowers, she seems to just adore her planet.

            Lan fans is covered in frogs and she’s super confused by that, but she doesn’t mind. Denny’s is made up of bronze and book pages and he fucking despises it. So, the opinions on lands are split and you hate yours.

            If there was one thing you would have to say you liked it would be the consorts. They are these bright pink foxes and you kind of love them. Although they don’t seem to like you all that much seeing as the first time you went to talk to one sneered something about how they don’t talk to people like you and damn if that wasn’t a blow. The planets basically made for you and the people on it already hate you, wonderful.

            That’s another thing with the game, or maybe just your land. There are villages sprinkled around this place. These consorts seem to have culture and written history, which doesn’t make any sense if they only came into existence when you joined the game. Your current working theory is that they had been programmed into the game from the start. But of course, that theory directly contradicts the fact that all these places seem incredibly personal. You know you’re probably thinking way too much into this and normally you’d be able to write it off as magic horseshit, but you Know your brother isn’t going to do that. Best have a few theories ready to cool his head when he eventually flips his shit.

This is what you’re thinking about when you get a buzz from your phone.

 

thatBitch [TB] began pestering al;3 [AL]  
  
TB: WHAT ANIMALS ARE YOUR CONSORTS?  
AL: fOXES What aBOUT You?  
TB: SNAKES ACTUALLY, THEY ARE PRETTY GOOD, I DON’T KNOW WHY I STARTED THIS CONVERSATION LIKE THIS   
TB: IM JUST HERE TO SEND YOU A LINK   
thatBitch has sent a Link to Team Building One oh One   
thatBitch[TB] ceased pestering  al;3[AL]

 

            You click the link, it’s pretty much the group chat except its Ed speaking almost entirely.

 

  
KS: So Ive Been Thinking  
SB: thats new  
KS: Im Going To Ignore That  
KS: But I Think We Are Going To Need A Base Of Operations Of Sorts. I Just Want To See Whose Planet Is The Least Murdery I Guess.  
KS: Actually Have Any Of You Even Got To Your Planets Yet?   
KS: I Haven’t But uhhh No Offense Riza Hasn’t Done A Ton Of Building  
AL: i Have bUT You aLREADY Knew tHAT.   
KS: Yeah There Isn’t Much For Me To Do Yet.  
KS: I’ve Just Been Planning   
LS: oh dip you know what that means   
LS: Eds got our both his whiteboard his corkboard AND his field journal  
RS: I never did understand how you could fit whole whiteboards in your syllandex.   
PG: Hes ed hes weird does there really Need to be an explanation.   
KS: Crazy=Genius  
PG: and hes still an emo fuck even if his clothing has changed   
JG: Why did we ever think any different   
KS: I Don’t Know   
KS: Assuming I Would Listen To Anything Other Than Emo Music Was Your Own Fault  
DM: You listen to the music we make together  
KS: Yes, I Do.   
KS: Anyone Else On Planet Other Then Al   
TB: I am   
SB: Me Bitch  
GN: Me!  
LI: Me too! It’s pretty here!  
NG: I am also on the frog planet. (My planet obvi))  
RS: Im also planet side  
TC: LS: Yea same  
TA: DS: My planet is weird I’m unsure if I like it  
TG: KS: Alright Then Riza, Ling, Lanny, Paninya, Nina, Livy, Maria. Work On Building Up The Home’s So They Can Start Traveling.

 

Al;3 has disconnected from memo

 

            This part doesn’t really concern you. You’ve built up Nina’s room enough so that she can travel, and Ed was diligent for once in his life and finished getting you land side as fast as he could. You know you won’t set up the base on your planet ether. It will probably be Nina’s planet where you set up the base, Nina’s probably making the argument already.

            Instead of worrying about where you’re going to sleep you instead worry about the glooming responsibility that lies in the quests. You haven’t been able to talk to a consort to get any, but your friends have been getting them. Quests of all types, puzzles, fetch monster fight. You, on the other hand, have been completely shunned from your own planet.

            It’s not that you don’t know where to go. In fact, you have a damn good idea of exactly where you should be headed. There is what looks like a Greek temple made from red sandstone sitting on of the taller mountains in the distance. It’s all very chosen one esc. But you’ve decided you don’t want to go there.   

            For one the whole thing screams boss fight. You just know that when you head up there you’ll have to fight some big bad and you are in no way prepared to fight said big bad. The second reason is well… shameful as it is what if you fail? What happens if you die in this weird game? If it was a normal video game, you would probably respawn from the last save point but here? Where everything is topsy turvy? You don’t know the consequences to your actions and that scares you.            

            Instead of moving forward you just stare at it, shifting your feet wondering if there is any way to get a better weapon or better armor or anything to up your chances against that big bad your inevitably going to have to fight.

That’s When Mei messages you.

 

pandaGirl [PG] began pestering  al;3[AL]   
PG:Hey you’ve seen the register, right?   
AL: ?    
AL: nO   
PG: Okay so uhhh you can combine shit with alchemy and everyone’s been making new rad outfits and shit which I figured you probably didn’t care about. (Although you should know eds made like twenty more scarves all varying horrifying pattern)   
PG: BUT you can upgrade your weapons and shit your sister has stacked the SHIT out of her sniper rifle and eds got a sword gun gauntlet thing. Not to mention I My Self Have Made Some Cool Ass Daggers.    
AL: pLEASE Don’t tYPE Like tHAT It rEMINDS Me oF My bROTHER.   
PG: ye that is ed tying quirk huh? Anyway, I figured I’d send you some cards, so you can make your own bullshit fantasy weapon. Good luck alchemizing.    
pandaGirl[PG] ceased pestering  al;3[AL]

 

You receive pre-punch cards from Mei, somehow through a planet, she got them here. Amazing. You spend the next few hours upgrading your gauntlets till they are these rad fire things that exultant your claws nicely and avoiding the temple at the top of the mountain and the crushing anxiety that fills with in you. The next time you receive a message it’s with the code for a jet pack and instructions to go to Ed’s Planet.

This would be easy you figured accept that Ed’s planet is fucking giant. It’s not the biggest one, (that honor seems to go to Livy The Land of Snow and Ebony is gargantuan) but it’s still big, eventually you touch down outside of what looks to be a castle made entirely of ice. With pillars decorated in snow flakes and a long bridge decorated with hovering lamps. The whole place is cold as hell but it’s pretty, in a Narnia fantasy kind of way.  

The big planets must have something to do with snow because both Ed and Livy’s planets are giant and iced over entirely.

It seems the other kids thought the same thing about landing outside the giant palace. You along with the other kids and the teachers (who you didn’t even know where here seriously what the hell warn a guy next time.) waiting for anyone to tell you where to go.

Only about a minute later do you see Ed running down the bridge that leads to the palace. He waves you all over and into the inside. For a second you dread going in, if out here is cold how frigid will the center of an ice palace be. You close your eyes and brace yourself for a cutting grasp that never comes. Instead, you feel yourself heat up from the inside out. It smells like cinnamon and you can hear a crackling fire. You squint your eyes open to see what looks to be a pleasantly cozy lounge instead of the barren ice cave you have pictured.

Its decked out in red and gold rugs in the center is a huge fireplace that two pink axolotl consorts are roasting marshmallows over. Ed has completely taken over a corner, covering a table in text books and surrounding in in whiteboards and one cork board. The boards have math and science written all up and down them and you doubt Ed has done much but that since he got here.

Ed’s kinda always been like that, just a little out of it you know. Now he is practically bouncing between Roy (who has been doing the same science nerd shit Ed has been), Riza and Ling (both of whom have been talking with consorts and figuring out the politics of this place. Because everywhere you go, there is one constant. Politics)

“You called us all here for a reason right Ed?” It’s Livy who interrupts his frantic writing. Ed spins back around and pulls ANOTHER white board out of his syllandex, honestly your brother fucking baffles you sometimes.

“Yes, Yes.” Ed claps pulling everyone’s attention towards him. “I think teams and just groups in general would go a long way into making this adventure less dangerous for everyone. And if it doesn’t bother anyone I’ve already kind of made the teams. Or at least a simulation of who would work best together and what teams would be the most powerful and basically, I have a lot,” Ed rushes this all out in what is basically one breath. Riza reminds him to breath at the end of his sentence Ling patting his back so he doesn’t choke on air in his excitement. You and Nina would go up and help but you think they have it covered this time.

“What makes you think teams are necessary in the first place?” This time is Ms. Izumi who speaks up. She and the other teachers are standing in back, they stand together like a blocked between the kids and the outside world. Ms. Izumi crosses her arms and stands out in front of the wall of teachers. Ed rings his hands together, Ms. Izmui is scary at the worst of times and she can be downright terrifying when you or any of the kids are in danger, even if she doesn’t mean to be pointing that terror at Ed.

“It’s a video game right,” Ed asks but not really. “And video games have quests, objectives, we don’t know what ours are right now, for all we know this could just be a survival game or a puzzle,”

“And I don’t think there’s any video game I can think of that’s harder with friends then without,” Roy butts in. Roy’s voice can be hard on the ears, every syllable sounded like a hiss.

“And if Ed’s already got team configuration figured out then there really isn’t a need for that to go waste right,” Riza joins in. You shrug and figure yeah you should probably support your brother in his ventures.

“I’m down if everyone else is,” You say, Ed smiles up at you. You have to fight to not roll your eyes, Ed gets so shy when it comes to telling you and Nina things, you really don’t understand it. Mr. Hughes chortles, hands on his stomach and everything. 

“Well if you think it will keep you kids safer then don’t let us old folk get in your way.” He smiles up again, not that you’ve never seen him not smile but you know. The other teachers consider this for a moment, eyes wide and everything. “But my good old internal clock says its way past dinner and bed time. Say Ed does this fancy palace have a kitchen of some kind?” Hughes asks.

“Oh, uh yes.” Ed points to the right and a large hallway door seems to appear out of nowhere. “It’s right through there but I wouldn’t suggest exploring much, I think exploring this castle is a big part of my quest and you know,” He shrugs, Hughes ruffles his hair before disappearing beyond the wall.

When Hughes gets back everyone seems to break into their own groups to talk about their adventures. Everyone is talking over each other trying to figure out who had the coolest quests and who had the best planets. Although your brother remains at his board, the plate of food that had been left for him was untouched. You and Nina give each other a look before both slinking over to his side. Roy and Riza are chowing down bread near him but when they see you two coming over they give you a respectful nod before getting out of your way. You like Roy and Riza, but you and Nina get first takes into your brothers woefully fucked mental state.

“You’re still working on this huh?” Nina talks first not passing up the chance to stare at Ed’s notes. Nina keeps her claws behind her back, you know what that means, she’s worried. Keeping the glinting daggers, you call nails behind her back means less chance Ed would panic. You would do the same but… Ed’s probably just working himself up. You can defuse his minefield of a brain before panic even has a chance to set in. Ed jerks his head away from the board to look at you two.

“Yeah, the team configurations are… difficult,” he says, “I think I have a good chunk of this figured out, but I want more then like two different set ups.” You scan over Ed’s groupings, most people are in groups of four, some with a teacher attached to the top.

“Seems like you’ve gone ahead and paired yourself up with your boyfriend for this one.” Nina points to grouping on the board that says ‘Ed, Al, Mei, Ling’

“Oh yes, I figured this would be a good team for exploring. Everyone here gets along well and well we are always looking for answers and stuff and like yeah,” Ed says his speech breaks up around the middle like he’s not really thinking about what he’s doing. You know that means he’s thinking way to hard about what he’s doing.

he takes chalk and crosses out Olivier’s name again, seems as though she’s being flopped around a lot. You get that, she can be incredibly difficult to work with. Eventually Ed settles on putting her with a team listed ‘Maria, Denny, and Nina’ Your sisters face screws up in to an unpleasant sneer.

“You put me in a team with Olivier?” She says. You also turn your nose up a bit at the configuration.

“Oliver and Denny as well? Don’t they have a…volatile relationship.” You struggle to find wording that doesn’t put too much blame on ether party for that crashing and burning of that friendship. Although if someone asked you directly you would say it was mostly Olivier.  

“I know this is a weird one, but this could be good for them really. And the sprites say something about aspects getting along? Well Denny and Maria are like best friends and both life aspect and Maria is also really good friends with Olivier so like…” You brother seems to think this out for a moment before erasing the whole board.

“I don’t ether of us meant to erase the whole board.” You say.

“I forgot about the aspects and classes the sprites told us about. I didn’t factor any of that in.” Ed mumbles before starting another list, first he starts with everyone’s names grouped with who they were roommates with back on earth. Then he writes the classpects the sprites had told us about. Your sprite has just babbled something about darkness and light and creating a new world. The sprite combo you had made was a vase of dead flowers and a boombox. It was probably the worst thing in the entire world.

            Ed was apparently able to get enough out of his sprite that he knows everyone’s classpects and land’s. You sister takes the marker from your brother’s claw. You grab his metal shoulder and pull him away from the board and over to a pile of pillows and blankets Ling, Lan and Winry have made.

            “Hey you three.” Winry says brightly, making room for you to throw Ed between her and Ling. He falls with a grunt, Ling wraps around him like the worlds clingiest teddy bear. Ed has started yelling profanities and is generally being hard to deal with in the hopes that Ling will let him go.

            “He’s working himself into a panic, don’t let him back at that board for tonight.” You say, pointing at Ed’s disgruntled form. Nina sits down to join them, you on the other hand head to Mei’s side.

            Mei is sitting pretty much by herself. She did this when you first meet her too.

            It had been at the school, there had been a big lunch to celebrate something, you can’t remember what. Mei was eating her cake and sandwich alone at a pink picnic table. Your brother and Nina had been on top of another table screaming out a song, it wasn’t long before Winry and Livy joined them. The noises grated on your ears, you pushed yourself away from the table and went to sit with the girl sitting alone and the pink picnic table.

            “They are your siblings and friends. Why not sit with them instead?” She asked you. You uncovered your ears and placed your hands palm first on the table.

            “My siblings know I can’t stand to much noise. I’m surprised I didn’t get up and move earlier to be honest,” 

            “I’m Mei,” She smiled and stuck her hand out for you to shake, “let’s be quite together huh?”

            You took her hand.

            Mei now is much the same, quiet.

            “You should get some sleep,” she says after a moment. When she says that its like the entire day shifts back onto you. You’re so tired. You nod wordlessly drifting off knowing you can trust her to keep watch.

            The first time you wake up, the room has become completely dark. Around you, everyone else has fallen asleep on the pillow and blanket piles that have been left everywhere. You can hear the quite voices of your teachers coming from the middle of the room.

            “-worried about them,” It’s Mr. Henkel’s voice.

            “We all are. This isn’t anything like we expected, all we can do is hope the kids make it to the end,” This time it’s Mr. Hughes. There more sounds of rustling, the teachers are moving something.

            “It’s weird knowing you’re going to die soon,” Mr. Darius says. Your half-asleep brain tries to make sense of the words but… it can’t really grasp them. The teachers? Going to die soon? You honestly doubt anything could kill those four.

            “Beh, who cares? We knew this was coming,” Ms. Izmui says flippantly. You drift back to sleep.

            When you wake up the second time its to yelling. You wipe the sleep out of your eyes and creak you back. In the middle of the room is now a large table, which Ed and Olivier are arguing over, in the middle of them is the large board with teams that Ed had been using last night. People are eating breakfast around them; Roy and Jean are entertaining themselves by trying to talk to one of Ed’s consorts. Denny and Nina are on your computer in the corner of the room, whispering to themselves.

            “What are you doing?” You ask Nina. She’s the one who had to get your computer, Denny wouldn’t have access to your syllandex. Nina perks up when she notices you.

            “Oh well we can’t stay here, Ed’s planets so cold I think I might die,” Nina says, “So we are moving to my planet, but first,” she flips the computer around for you to see the screen.

            “We gotta build a base,” Denny speaks up, both he and Nina look proud of the giant tower fortress, they have made together.

            “Seem’s like you’ve spent a lot of time on that,”

            “Well not really, we’ve both played enough Minecraft and sims that making this was a piece of cake,” Denny smiles, “and we’ve gotten a lot of special requests from everyone so it’s pretty big but it’s like super fucking cool,”

            “If you have any requests speak now or forever hold your peace,” Nina gives you a dramatic wave of her hand and an eyebrow wiggle.      

“As long as I don’t have to share a room with anyone I’m fine,” As you finish the argument between Ed and Olivier seems to reach its climax with Ed banging his fists loudly on the table.

            “Those are the teams for today Olivier. You’ll just have to get over yourself and suck up the fact you’re not leading your group,” Ed yells, spinning around back to the three of you. “Al, your leading the team with Mei and Maria, you’ll be on your planet.” He rattles off other teams to other people. You walk off to find Mei and Maria, both of whom are already standing by the door, Maria is wearing a long cloak, completely different from what she was wearing yesterday. Mei on the other hand looks like a battle ninja, its kind of a badass look.

           

Your planet is just as horrible today as it was yesterday. The heat isn’t helped by Maria who is complaining loudly about how much she hates the heat. You relate but man sometimes you gotta keep it to yourself.

            “What’s your current quest?” Mei shoulders up beside you the daggers on her belt glint dangerously and for a moment your reminded of Lan Fan.  

            “Oh, I don’t have one yet,”

            “What? What have you been doing?” Maria turns around when she hears you.

            “Mostly alchemizing things, the consorts here won’t talk to me, so I’ve just been kind of,” you shrug, you haven’t been doing much honestly. “Not worrying about it I guess.”

            Maria puffs out her cheeks, shaking her head all upset like.

            “Well I’ll find a consort willing to talk to us then!” She yells, running over the nearest hill into a consort village nearest to the three of you. Mei giggles, knocking her shoulder against yours.

            “Maria seem’s dead set on getting one of those foxes huh?” Mei says, she crosses her arms in a shy kinda way.

            “Meh, maybe she’ll do it, if not we’ll find something,”

            “You just didn’t start a quest because the consorts?” Mei’s face scrunches up. “That temple seems like a good place to start.” You suck in a sharp breath. You were so hoping they would think it was like background décor.

            “I mean yes but also uh up there seems kinda high level don’t you think?” You say, hoping to dodge the real answer of why you don’t want to go to that temple.

            “Maybe? But idk it just seems kinda obvious and like isn’t the obvious stuff generally lower level?”  Mei taps her chin in contemplation, you shrug. “Al?”

            “Yes?” You’re sweating fucking bullets man.

            “What’s the real reason you haven’t started any quests?” Mei’s forehead creases in the middle, her hands twist together, and you know she’s nervous you’re going to brush her off. And you kind of… want to. Emotions have never really been your families strong suit. The idea to brush off her genuine concern is fleeting. You’re not Edward or Nina, you don’t have to play fucking emotional hopscotch with your friends to get half way to the root of your problems.

            “Just like…” You scrunch your nose and scratch the back of your head. Talking about emotions without bursting into tears is so hard man, it’s hard and nobody understands.

“You know how in video games there are like the protags and like guess in this weird metaphor everyone is their own protagonist or whatever but like…” god fucking damnit your rambling, “so on his land I’m supposed to be the hero or whatever but like I don’t know I don’t think that’s supposed to be me.” You finish lamely, your arms have now crossed themselves and you feel like a petulant child. “It’s stupid I know.”

            “I don’t think it’s stupid,” Mei lays a hand on your shoulder, for a second you feel tension drain out of you like she’s a tap and you’re the tree. Then it builds back up like a dam on the brink of collapse and you wonder if this push and pull is what it feels like to fall apart at the seams.

            “I think that fear, that it’s not you, that this is all some ridiculous dream is in all of us. Some like Maria and Jean are pushing it back, others ceaselessly plan, like your brother. You just haven’t really accepted the fact we are here, that this is a whole new place and I guess now we all very literally have to be the chosen one. Honestly, I think it’s kind of bullshit too but like we can’t change that we are here, we’d be dead if we weren’t,”

            “You think I’m coping with being pulled out of our reality by denying this realities very existence?”

            “I mean yeah basically if you want to be like super trite about it,” Mei knocks against your shoulder once again, “and hey if a situation is ever to stressful you can just say uh...” she stops to think about it for a moment, “cattywhompas,” a laugh bursts out of you.

            “You just suggested my conversational safe word be cattywhompas.” You try to fight of the loud string of giggles that keeps bubbling up out of you. She puts her hands on her hips and puffs out her cheeks in the silly frog way she does.

            “Yeah, it’s a funny word, I think it’s perfect.” Mei stays serious for all of five seconds before falling into giggles herself. Your wonderful moment with Mei is interrupted by Maria’s screaming.

            You both equip your weapons. Down the hill Maria has been pinned to the ground by… you. Or well it looks like you, but it’s made of smoke and when you make eye contact with the doppelganger it runs back off into the mountains. It’s not as fast as you but that’s a low bar, so it’s still fucking fast and you can’t give chase. Instead you elect to help Maria back onto her feet.

            She wobbles, her face is pale and slick with sweat.

            “We have to get her back to base.” Mei says, suddenly all business. Maria shakes both of your arms off her.

            “That thing, I saw it… it had a soul, but it wasn’t,” She struggles to find her words, “it wasn’t alive, it didn’t breathe or have a heart beat or blood it was,” Maria shudders and focus on the mountains. “I think we have too much to do here before we can go back to base,” She says. You find yourself following her gaze, down into a valley between the mountains, a place you had not yet explored for its proximity to the temple.

            In the distance you think you can catch a glimpse of your own eyes.      


	3. Your name is Nina Elric

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again no Beta we still die like men  
> also a bit of a warning for this chapter? There's a section that talks about how Nina lost her eye and if you're not like down with that you should skip from "eyes on the fritz" to "ed probably uses the same excuse"

            Your name is Nina Elric and you are going to murder your brother. Like, smother him in his sleep for assigning Olivier to your team. Jean is honestly the only reason your still sane, he’s doing his best to keep the air around the two of you light and breezy. The tension isn’t helped by the fact Jean’s whole planet is a muggy hell swamp. The Land of Heat and Fog sucks, that’s fact. Jean doesn’t seem to mind much, which baffles you because your ankle deep in swamp sludge.

            “I’m so bored,” Olivier groans, she pulls her hands on her face and pulls them down giving her face a weird stretching effect. You pucker your lips in distaste, while true that Jean's planet isn’t battle filled she doesn’t have to be an ass about it.

            “Hey now I know talking isn’t the most interesting thing in the world,” Jean says interrupting his conversation with a blue gecko, who is impatiently tapping his feet at Olivier’s interruption. They were in the middle of some very important complaints about the storms that theorize their farms. “But people are entertaining and all sorts of fun,” He butts up against her shoulder and you could feel her eye roll from halfway across the session.

            “I’m sure something you consider interesting will happen soon,” you spit out at her. Olivier’s constant negativity on these quests is really starting to get on your nerves. The gecko goes back to squawking about storms and how they are running their harvest. You don’t really get what they mean by storm, as far as you’ve seen most of the weather on these planets is completely stagnant. You don’t know why Jeans would be any different.

            “See! See!” The gecko shouts. It jabs its fingers up at the sky. Gray clouds spiral and swirl above you. The rain gets steadily harder.

            “Huh would you look at that,” Jean says, looking up at the middle of the swirl. You scrunch your face.

            “This rain isn’t hard enough to actually destroy crops,” You say matter of fact. Olivier gives you a look.

            “How do you know that?” She sounds exasperated, voice high and on edge.

            “I worked on a farm when I was like seven, hey?” You look away from the sky and back to the gecko. “is this as bad as it gets? Like does the rain get harder than this?” the gecko shakes their head.

            “The rain doesn’t destroy the crops, the thing the rain summons does,” The gecko’s lips quirk down best they can.

            “Summons? What does the rain summon?” Jean says, head perching forward slightly. The gecko backs up a tad and you know it’s a second from bolting out.

            “Not safe, not safe here anymore,” those are the gecko's last words before it bolts to the nearest tree.

            “Hey!” Jean calls after the gecko, but that blue lizard is long gone. Olivier uncrosses her arms.

            “Well if it's destroying their crops then it must be evil right? Finally, something interesting,” she unsheathes her sword from her belt. Jean pulls up his hands.

            “Hey now we don’t know what it is or even if it’s summoned all the time, maybe it’s like so high level we won’t even be able to do anything about it till later,” Olivier backpedals and scrunches her face. “Think about it, Livy. We don’t even have like five levels to our name, and if whatever this is comes out every time it storms like this then surely there will be other chances to fight it,” Jean attempts to reason with her.

            Lightning strikes the ground a few feet away from your party, interrupting any argument Olivier had. Your eye jerks in a random direction.

“GODDAMNIT!” You yell grabbing the right side of your face. Jean reaches out his arms like his going to put his hands on your shoulder.

“What? What’s wrong?” He says, you look over your shoulder and see his eyes wildly spinning around looking for something that could have hurt you.

“Nothing it’s just the lightning, screwed up my eyes pathing its gonna be on the fritz till I can get Winry to look at it,” you must yell over the gathering lightning, this storm is getting up to field running level.

Trees uproot from the ground and rocks levitate out of the swampy ground where the first bit of lightning struck. They swirl together like the storm above. You see Olivier smile and shift her feet to get ready to lunge for the monster. She ducks and swerves under its stone arm, you get out your rifle it’s much harder to use with one eye out of commission, but it will have to do.

Jean is caught up in the middle of a whirlwind of rock and leaves. The monster doesn’t seem to care much about you or Olivier, instead choosing to go after Jean. He ducks out of the way of its hand and shoots the nearest part of it with his shotgun. It doesn’t do much, instead Jean ends up getting thrown against the nearest tree.

You make a snap decision. You grab Olivier’s arm and throw Jean's limp body over your shoulder. Running through the dense water is difficult but damn if you’ll let that stop you.   

            Olivier sputters out profanities, shaking back and forth to get you off her. The rock monster is chasing you, it’s fast and its feet thunder against the ground shaking what feels like the entirety of the world. Your brain chimes with instinct and you're pulled by something not completely you into a nearby cave. You duck into the opening and throw your friends behind you, you’ve got yourself in a dead end now.

            There’s a loud pop and every part of your body chimes like you’ve been completely thrown off kilter and combined into something so much bigger all at once, three boulders fall in front of the cave entrance. Problem solved you guess, you don’t think even that thing can burrow through boulders the size of a house.

            “What the hell was that!” Olivier is screeching now that she’s found her footing. She grabs your shoulder and jerks you back so you’re facing her. Her mouth is upturned into a sneer and her hair is frizzing out all at the ends. “We could have taken that thing!”

            “No, we couldn’t have,” You do your best to retain a calm demeanor. “Jean was hurt we had to get out of there. I’m not letting any of you die on my watch,” Olivier growls but doesn’t argue. Both of you know that whatever that was, was way to high level for either of you.

            “Well, now what Ms. Leader! We’re trapped in a cave with no food no water and minimal light,” Olivier throws her hands into the air frantically waving them around. You hate to admit she’s right, you didn’t think this whole thing through and you don’t have any way to move the boulders.

            “It’s fine we’ll… we’ll think of something,” You mumble staring at the entrance. Olivier scoffs,

            “Sure, we will,” She walks over to Jean who’s been sitting in the corner while Olivier and you fought. He twiddles his thumbs anxiously, Olivier roughly sits down next to him. Al would say she’s pouting like a child, you say she’s brooding like a teenager.

            You stare up at the boulder and wonder where you went wrong. This morning Ed seemed so confident you could lead your team, that even headstrong Olivier wouldn’t get in your way because you’d just do that good. You feel like you’ve failed your older brother in some way, by not being good enough. You’ve trapped all three of you and now you need a way out and you don’t know how you’re going to do that.

            So, you sit down and think, you stare, and your pace, and you plan. Then you decide you’re getting to worked up about this whole thing. It’s an easy solution really, just move the boulder. The problem is how.

The cave slowly fills with soft violin music, you and your team jerk your heads around to find the source but to no avail. It only comes when you feel that pop and chime again. The boulders at the front of the cave disintegrate in the wind and in the entrance to the cave you see yourself.

You’re wearing a red tunic thing, you have your violin held steady. Other you wink’s and plucks another string disappearing into wherever. Jean and Olivier walk up to your side.

“What was that?” Jean asks, clearly shaken.

“I’m not entirely sure, I think it was me but… a different me?” You cock your head to the side if anything this is going to make Ed’s theories a lot more interesting. Olivier rolls her eyes so hard you fear they might fall out of her head.

“Whatever let’s just go,” she stomps out of the cave and equips her jetpack, ready to fly to your new base. You wonder if it stings that it’s on your planet.

You and Jean follow her back to base.

 

Al, Mei, and Maria are the last to get back to base, the look so exhausted that you decide to let them sleep, instead choosing to let Winry look at your eye. It’s been on the fritz again and damn if having an eye jerk around randomly isn’t annoying you don’t know what is. Winry has set herself up an entire workshop, everything from her wildest dreams is stocked here.

“Hey, Winny,” Your voice creaks and you mentally berate yourself for sounding so weak. She looks up from whatever it was she was working on and smiles up at you.

“Nina, not too often I get you here what’s up?” She asks you all good-naturedly with smiles and you’re sure she’d hug you if you would allow her to get that close. You shrug your arms helplessly watching the saws gently sway under the artificial breeze created by the fan. You gesture vagally up to your right eye.

“Eye’s on the fritz,”

Winry points you towards the big chair in the middle of the room. It reminds you of the chairs they have at the dentist, with the lights above it and the pedals on the floor. You don’t like taking out your eye, Winry knows this and if she doesn’t have to get deep into the mechanics normally she’ll just leave it in.

Winry spins back to face you, in her hands are all sorts of tiny invasive tools. You’ve gotten used to this process by now. Winry hums along while working, the drilling sounds so close to your socket and brain make you want to cringe.

“You know Nina you never did tell me how you lost this eye,” Winry says it so absentminded. Your breath hitches. It’s so easy to be brought back to the moment. Like you can still smell the alcoholic that lingered over every place in foster home number five. You couldn’t see, a blindfold covered your eyes, but you could hear your Al banging on a door down the hall and Ed’s wails from the tree he had been chained too. The apple was perched precariously on your head and you waited and waited.

It was sharp and fast, but the arrow went right through the cloth blindfold and into your eye. You passed out shortly after, and when you woke you were held in both your brother's arms, missing a good chunk of your left hand and your right eye. 

You don’t tell Winry any of this, instead, you shrug and say, “just a little accident,” she accepts this answer. Probably because Ed’s missing an arm and a leg, he’s probably used much of the same excuse.

She fixes your eye up quickly and you retreat to your room. It’s on the top floor, which you regret now, walking up flights and flights of stairs. Your room is almost identical to the one you had at school, except now you don’t have to share a room with anyone.

You decide that you would rather not broad on today’s events and instead flop down onto your mattress. You’re so tired, people make you so tired. You go to sleep.

You wake up in a tower on a golden moon. You are wearing something golden. Your eye and your fingers are all there no automail parts to be seen.

You look out the window and stare into the clouds.

You’re jerked back awake. Edward is standing above you shaking your shoulder.

“Geeh,” You mumble, it’s not really a word, more how you feel in that moment. Which is tired and upset you were woken up.

“Dinner,” Ed says. He leaves the door creaked open. You’re not hungry, but you don’t want to go back to sleep. You hum to yourself, deciding to go take a walk around the planet. You don’t even really have to sneak out, everyone’s arguing in the dining room.

 

Your planet stunning, covered in plants and small buildings that the consorts live in. In the distance, you can hear a faint ticking. You follow a brook, stepping between stones hitting them at the time another tick goes off. You stop when you see a snake sitting on the bank of the brook. They look up and you know that they can see right through you. You give an awkward smile and a small wave.

“The water moves in only one direction. So, too, must we,” They say this with confidence that you don’t think anyone has ever felt. The snake slithers off and you find yourself staring back at the water. This whole place is so strange, can you even keep moving forward when you know things like time travel and magic are real?

You take out your violin like you had seen the other you do earlier that day. You pluck the first string and find yourself in the middle of the day. The snake is back at the bank, still watching the water.

“The water only moves in one direction.” They say again, smiling softly like you imagen a grandma does when she is teaching an old lesson. You feel anger bubble in your chest, you want to scream.

“But we didn’t!” You yell, “this is the second time I’ve seen you, and I’m pretty sure I’m in the past! I’m on the first day we got here right?” You are so confused. The snake nods,

“Yes, the heroes got here today, you are correct.” They say before slithering off again. You huff and pluck the thickest string, with the deep sound you are once again moved. This time to what you feel is the future. And again, the snake is there, sitting without a care in the world “Soon. You will understand that we move in only one direction. so too, will you soon have our last conversation.” They chuckle and slithers off and you… you pluck the middle string on your violin, you're filled with what feels like inescapable hopelessness. You back in the present you know that you should probably tell the others you can time travel now.   

But right now, you would rather stare at the starless sky and think about what a raw deal you’re getting. You can travel back and forth to the future past and present and in the end, it probably doesn’t even matter, you can’t change anything. Your life will have always been what it was, and you will have always failed.

If even time travel can’t fix your mistakes, then why try at all. These are your first few thoughts, then you are filled with calm. Like you take a deep breath and stitch yourself back up from the seams. You fall to your knees and cry, you cry for the first time in years, you cry out of your left eyes, but you still hold the right side of your face out of habit.

 You cry until you feel the sun on your back and your knees start to ache, you cry till you run out of tears to shed and just start sniffling. You take another breath once the tears and sobbing stop. You splash water in your face and hope your eyes aren’t too red and that your family hasn’t worried too much about you.

You head home, and you don’t look back.     


	4. The Palace of Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOO!!!! GUESS WHOS BACK!!!! BACK AGAIN!!!!   
> that's right motherfuckers it's Me again. And I'm back and WORSE than before!!!!  
> Enjoy this because it'll probably be another month or two before the next chapter.   
> WOOOOOO!!!

Ed woke up to darkness. He could not say for sure if this was to be his new norm. But yesterday, at least on Nina's planet, there had been sun and light and what seemed like a day/night cycle.

The snoring from the warm bodied Ling confirmed his fears. The shake of his limbs and the sweat that slicked his forehead only furthered his theory. Woken once again by nameless fears.

He swung his legs carefully out of the bed as to not disturb his boyfriend, surely something like warm milk would help, or maybe coffee so he didn't have to go back to bed at all.

Stumbling in the dark down unfamiliar halls was not how he wanted to spend his evening or, he supposed, very early morning and yet here he was, legs aching and fingers twitching. Ed dragged his hand against the wall to find a light switch. The bulb hummed when it clicked on, illuminating a kitchen that was clearly a cobbled together mess in an attempt to make something resembling their old home. As if to remind him of that fact, a teacher had groggily walked into the room to see what the ruckus was about. Mr. Henkel rubbed his eyes, giving Ed a weary look.

"The hell are you doing up kid?" He asked without _really_ asking. He had known Ed long enough by now. "A nightmare? Phantom pains? Other? All of the above?" Now that was a question.

"Nightmare, bad feelings, just bad energy all around," Ed said rubbing his hands up and down his arms, wrinkling the soft PJs that Izumi had gotten him on their last trip into the city. Mr. Henkel nodded along, moving to the stove and placing a skillet on the burning flame.

"Sounds like a grade-A reason for some hot chocolate," he stated, Ed had to fight back a small giggle.

            Hot chocolate did sound good, so Ed sat in a stool next to the granite countertop. Mr. Henkel shot him a gruff smile.

"Want to talk about it?"

Ed shrugged. He was desperate to remember the dream so he could find a villain to point a finger at. He remembered nothing but the vague sense of fear, the vague sense of heat and cold and being ripped apart.

"There isn't really much to talk about it wasn't... or I can't remember images. Just..." he faltered, words sputtering out like a broken car engine.

"Just fear?" Mr. Henkel once again asked but didn't _really_ ask. He gave a deep sigh as he shifted the bar of melting chocolate around. Ed laid his arms down on the counter top, glaring at his mismatched hands. His fingers shook with the desire to go at his hair, ripping out curls till the pain in his chest went away. But that would make Al very sad, and Nina would be upset. So, he didn't.

Mr. Henkel placed a steaming mug in front of him, filled to the brim with soft caramel colored drink topped with a commercial worthy dollop of whip cream.

"Kid I'm not gonna lie, you know everything I know about how to deal with nightmares now. And I know you still get up and prance around the school all damn hours of the night, messing with labs or running in the track field. But we-- the teachers, your siblings, your friends-- worry about you." He tapped the rim of the cup. "When you’re done with that head back to your room, don't go exploring without anyone, not when we don't know anything about this world yet."

Ed didn't say, _but I think you and the other teachers know more than you’re letting on_ , and he didn't ask, _what are you hiding from us?_ and for that, his strength must be commended.   Instead, he said, "sure, goodnight," and he finished up the mug of sweet drink quickly. Ed didn't look down the halls to see if he was still being watched when he went up the stairs to his room. He didn't trip over the last step like he used to do back at the dorms. He didn't do a lot of things.

  _Human nature is of an essence built on doing absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things_ , Ed thought, _and yet here we are on what I can assume is the edge of the universe as some of the last surviving humans. By human standards this would make us_ very _important, but what?_ he asked himself, _did that mean on a universal scale?_ He supposed right now it meant nothing, right now he was a scared teenage boy, a speck of nothing in the vastness in the universe. This was a comfort, as it meant, in the long run, he could do no lasting damage.

These were the things that scurried around Ed's mind as he made his way back to the bed, back under the blankets and sheets.

Ling wrapped sturdy arms around him and mumbled into his hair,

"You alright, sunshine?"

Ed nuzzled his face into Ling’s chest, breathing in the smell of Ling’s stupid cupcake smelling body wash.

"I'll be fine, moonlight," Ed turned his head up to look Ling in the eyes. "I promise."

 

~*~

The ice palace was confusing, and he was pretty sure it was doing it on purpose. His half drawn shaky maps didn’t make any sense, he would turn a corner and be back in the main hall or the kitchen near it. The axolotls where no help, when he asked they simply bleeped incessantly.

Roy and Riza, his team for the day, had been incredibly patent. Following behind simply offering small commentary or dumb jokes from time to time.  Ed crinkled the maps in his hands, fighting the urge to rip them to shreds, to let the remains scatter to the icy floor. A hand was placed on his shoulder. Ed grimaced and shook the handoff.

“Hey, Ed…” Roy said, pausing, and even though Ed wasn’t facing him he could practically see Roy tilt his head to the side.

“What if we took over the maps for a little while!” Riza offered. Ed’s eyes popped open wider.

He spun around to face his friends. “What?”

“It’s clearly stressing you, and it would probably only be for a little while. Just so you could take a break!” Riza looked down at him hopefully. Roy was peering over her shoulder and even though he hadn’t said it he knew Roy had been thinking about asking the same thing. His first instinct was to say no. No, this was his quest, he had to do this. But then he looked back down at the ink stains on his palms and let the pain in the back of his eyes sink in.

So, Ed didn’t say _no_ and he didn’t say _you think I can’t do this_. He didn’t comment on his internal anxieties, thinking that maybe his friends didn’t think he was capable. And maybe that was a feat that deserved recognition, or maybe it was a social standard that was to be expected that he had not quite grasped yet.

“We’ll let you tell us about biosynthesis,” Roy sighed. Ed pursed his lips, that was a very good deal, he thought. His friends barely ever let him ramble about chemistry.

“Alright but be careful!” he handed the maps over to Riza and the pens over to Roy. “Please try not to make a mistake, I don’t want to backtrack.”

He realized afterward that that sounded like an insult to Roy and Riza. It wasn’t that he didn’t think they could do it, in fact, they seemed perfectly capable of handling this, Ed just didn’t really trust anybody but himself on most things.  

Ed rambled for what felt like hours, going on and on. He should write a paper on it if he has so many opinions on it, but he wouldn’t, because writing out his thoughts and ideas was very rarely as fun as rambling and ranting.

According to Riza though, it had only been twenty minutes before they stumbled on to a completely new room. Almost completely barren save for the tiny crying axolotl standing in the middle. Roy covered his ears staying by the door and Ed and Riza went deeper in. He was always terrible with kids.

“Hey, are you okay?” Ed kneeled in front of the tiny axolotl. It bleeped a few more times, seemingly trying to get a hold of itself. When it could see through its tears, recognition lit up its eyes and it launched itself at Ed.

“Hero!” it squeaked, “hero please help me, please take me back to my family.”  Ed patted the strange creature’s head. It didn’t seem to be letting go anytime soon. He stood, holding the axolotl as though it was a baby. Riza shrugged, Roy groaned.

“Its parents are probably just back in the main hall, don’t be such a baby.”

Riza nudged Roy out of the way. The walk back wouldn’t take long, even though nothing here, not even time, made sense. They had been turned around back to the main hall more times then he could count.

At least Ed had hoped it wouldn’t take long.

 

~*~

Whirring sounds could be heard emanating from the walls after they had left the room, like a machine starting its long-forgotten purpose. Ed held the little lizard closer to his chest in what some would call instinct and others would call fear, but most would say both. 

            There was a five-second silence when both the sounds and their footsteps halted. A sickening calm before the storm, the five seconds right before the opera started, watching a wave build just before it crashed into you. Although in this instance it was silence in an ice made hall right before gunfire littered the floor behind them. 

Running was something Ed prided himself on. He wasn't the fastest sibling, that honor went to Nina, but he was still faster than most of his classmates. He wasn't entirely sure how he was out running machine gun fire though.

Roy and Riza seemed to be doing fine as well, although fine is a subjective term and many would not use it in this situation. They were alive if their screaming was any proof and therefore, fine. 

They ran for what felt like hours and what felt like seconds. New guns opened on panels in the ceiling herding them down halls and upstairs that hadn't existed before. They were being led into what was most definitely a trap and yet they could do nothing to stop it. 

            Up another set of curved spiral stairs and they were at the top of a large tower. Glancing behind him Ed could see they were at the center spire of the palace, he could see practically his whole planet. 

The gunfire ceased. They were cornered. Another soft clank and a pin dropped to the floor, a green oval following it to the floor. 

His mind hadn’t even caught up to the grenade on the floor before Ed dropped the kid. Pushing Roy and Riza away with the child he threw himself on the bomb. And there was screaming, and nothing, and silence and silence, and then he was fine. 

He was fine, better than fine because he could wiggle all ten of his toes and all ten of his fingers. He stared down at his hands, both flesh and his feet, also both flesh. They were covered in little scars little bits of patchwork, but they were _there_. 

Ed took a shaky breath, rubbing at the red fabric dress that he hadn't been wearing earlier. _Witch of blood_ , he thought, _that's what the guide told me. I didn't expect to godtier so soon._

            There was a thud next to him. Roy was on his knees with the axolotl in his arms. 

"Don't you fucking ever do that again," Roy said firmly, and Ed had a hard time arguing. 

"Okay," Ed said. And he leaned onto his friends’ shoulder, new arm and leg shaking with tremors like a newly born baby learning to walk.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize for this, spesficly how ooc Ed is, but like this is how i imagen he'd be if he wasn't raised in the military in the 21st century so.... UHHHH also go check out my wonderful beta Bee, https://shyyren.tumblr.com/, and also if you want to talk to me about HC and this au or any other au hit me up here, http://lady-of-the-summer-court.tumblr.com/. Hope you come and join me in my cave in a month or two. Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhh I would just like to thank every discord that I bothered for not kicking me and I would like to thank the person who beta read this, (their tumblr is @clockwork-dinosaur go check it out.)


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